Brazil census shows African-Brazilians in the majority for the first time

For the first time since records began black and mixed race people form the majority of Brazil's population, the country's latest census has confirmed.

Preliminary results from the 2010 census, released on Wednesday, show that 97 million Brazilians, or 50.7% of the population, now define themselves as black or mixed race, compared with 91 million or 47.7% who label themselves white.

The proportion of Brazilians declaring themselves white was down from 53.7% in 2000, when Brazil's last census was held.

But the proportion of people declaring themselves black or mixed race has risen from 44.7% to 50.7%, making African-Brazilians the official majority for the first time.

"Among the hypotheses to explain this trend, one could highlight the valorisation of identity among Afro-descendants," Brazil's census board, the IBGE, said in its report.

According to the census, 7.6% of Brazilians said they were black, compared with 6.2% in 2000, and 43.1% said they were mixed race, up from 38.5%.

In 1872, when Brazil's first census was conducted, the population was split into just two groups: free people and slaves, who then represented 15% of the population.

The IBGE said that while its researchers had detected the trend about three years ago, the 2010 census was the first full nationwide study to recognise the phenomenon.

In an interview last year Brazil's minister for racial equality, Elio Ferreira de Araujo, attributed the change to growing pride among his country's black and indigenous communities.

"People are no longer scared of identifying themselves or insecure about saying: 'I'm black, and black is beautiful,'" he told the Guardian.

Ivonete Carvalho, from the government's racial equality ministry, said African-Brazilians were increasingly willing to stand up and be counted: "I'm here. I'm me. I'm not ashamed of my history."

Race campaigners welcomed the growing number of self-declared African-Brazilians, but the census also underlined how the vast social divide between Brazil's white and non-white populations persists.

The 2010 census – a massive operation which involved about 190,000 census takers visiting 58m homes – found that in major cities white inhabitants were earning about 2.4 times more than their black counterparts.

In Salvador, a former slave port with one of Brazil's largest black populations, the findings were even worse: whites earned 3.2 times more than blacks.

"It is a vicious circle," Marcelo Paixão, an economist from Rio's UFRJ University told O Globo. "Poor salaries lead to worse education, which is a barrier to getting a good job. We need more public policies."

A parallel study, released this week by the Data Popular Institute, provided further evidence of the racial divide that continues to blight Brazilian society. The wealthiest group of Brazilians – known as "Class A" – was made up of 82.3% white people and just 17.7% African-Brazilians.

The same study found that 31.3% of Brazil's white population had private health plans, compared with just 15.2% of the black population.

In an interview this week Ivone Caetano, a prominent African-Brazilian judge in Rio de Janeiro, painted a bleak picture of life in the place some call South America's "rainbow nation".

"In Brazil every black person is going to be a victim of racism, prejudice [and] discrimination, whatever your position," she said. "Our prejudice is disguised and hypocritical."

A news report on the census findings aired by the Brazilian channel Record TV said the rise in Brazil's officially black and mixed race population was "a signal of growing pride among the descendants of Africans". The story was presented by a white reporter and introduced by two white news anchors.

For the first time since records began black and mixed race people form the majority of Brazil's population, the country's latest census has confirmed.

I have been telling people there are more than 90 million Africans in Brazil for close to 20 years, as my role as an activist demanded this.But then, as a scientist, I know it is one thing to hold onto what you consider indisputable facts, in your mind; but quite another to have confirmation of this, using 'official' census figures.

What morpheus24 says makes no sense. Of course African descendants in the west have some white and Amerindian in them. But that doesn't and shouldn't stop them from expressing love in their blackness. African-Americans still use the term black and AA. I see nothing wrong Afro-Brazilians doing the same.

What morpheus24 says makes no sense. Of course African descendants in the west have some white and Amerindian in them. But that doesn't and shouldn't stop them from expressing love in their blackness. African-Americans still use the term black and AA. I see nothing wrong Afro-Brazilians doing the same.

What morpheus24 says makes no sense. Of course African descendants in the west have some white and Amerindian in them. But that doesn't and shouldn't stop them from expressing love in their blackness. African-Americans still use the term black and AA. I see nothing wrong Afro-Brazilians doing the same.

You seem to forget that Brazil is seriously different from the US in terms of its black population. THem portugese were serious Hot devils and pretty much left their imprint on a majority of the "African" population in brazil so much so visible than AA's.

Afro- Brazilian pride can go pretty much any direction in terms of its native indian, portugese or African heritage.

And your point is? Yes, white men (not all were ethnically Portuguese) had their way with black African women in Brazil, same thing in the United States. Ever heard of Louisiana Creoles? They have African, French, and Amerindian heritage. I see no difference in that. As for those guys, one can also say American actresses LisaRaye McCoy and Whoopi Goldberg are different people. And what if they are considered the same people? Does that bother you? If so, why?

And another thing, if blacks in Brazil want to express pride in being black, why do you care? It's their business, not yours or mine. There are white people who scream "white pride world wide." It doesn't offend me.

eGuerrilla:"In Brazil every black person is going to be a victim of racism, prejudice [and] discrimination, whatever your position," she said. "Our prejudice is disguised and hypocritical."

Brazilians have told me this many times over the years. Funny how they usually lower their voices when they share this info. I guess they don’t want to damage the “rainbow nation” image Brazil has. That’s something I love about SA. We have our racial problems, but we don’t try to sweep them under the rug. There’s always something in the news which then gets people talking in their pubs, at work etc. It gets tiring, but it’s good for us to keep talking about these things so we can keep moving forward together.

A.D.M.:What morpheus24 says makes no sense. Of course African descendants in the west have some white and Amerindian in them. But that doesn't and shouldn't stop them from expressing love in their blackness.

Of course not. I think what Morpheus is saying (correct me if I’m wrong!) is simply that Brazilians are very mixed.

A.D.M.:And another thing, if blacks in Brazil want to express pride in being black, why do you care? It's their business, not yours or mine.

One guy will identify more with his black roots while another will feel closer to his Indian roots. Like you've said, it is their business.

Brazilians are very mixed. They don’t suffer from all those taboos the US has. All I know is that I love all my Brazilian friends. The % don’t matter to me. They would be even more mixed if white men hadn’t kept their own women under lock and key like property. Just saying!

Morpheus24 completely misses the political significance of this development, for reasons that are not entirely clear.This is sometimes the problem with those of us who consider ourselves "progressive", but who never see change on an incremental basis.

Brazil has arrived as an industrial powerhouse, and it is now only a question of time before the struggle for equality in that country moves to the centre.

And your point is? Yes, white men (not all were ethnically Portuguese) had their way with black African women in Brazil, same thing in the United States. Ever heard of Louisiana Creoles? They have African, French, and Amerindian heritage. I see no difference in that. As for those guys, one can also say American actresses LisaRaye McCoy and Whoopi Goldberg are different people. And what if they are considered the same people? Does that bother you? If so, why?

And another thing, if blacks in Brazil want to express pride in being black, why do you care? It's their business, not yours or mine. There are white people who scream "white pride world wide." It doesn't offend me.

And the point is "BRAZILIANS ARE A HEAVILY MIXED POPULATION" and can take pride in their African Ancestry as much as their Indian or Portugese ancestry. Neither one is more inherently important than the other in a biological context.

One drop of Black blood does not make you black. It makes you Human!

these two people have mixed ancestry and are considered both AA only to suit socio-political agendas of "labeing ' people to accomodate social constructs.

@ You may be right as it's the first official census of black or African Brazilians. My own personal experience and observation of Brazil and her population is "technically" it's the biggest black/African population outside of Nigeria but virtually "invisible" unlike their noisy "cousins" in north America(USA) who have managed to corner the 'black' experience market space in our collective consciousness.Brazil like the rest of South America where "black" people exist is very unique because of the peculiar minority(Portuguese) language which shuts them away from the rest of the world in terms of 'information' inflow and outflow, Racial classification in Brazil is also very insidious, peculiar and unique. They have officially over thirteen classifications/words to describe whatever race you belong to. The wonder of it all is the majority of so called blacks mixed or not, identify themselves as anything but Negro(black) because of the usual negative connotations associated with being seen as black no matter how obvious and silly it seems to a stranger like me. It is a sad experience indeed hence I was very optimistic when Obama became the President of the U.S.A., I felt that it will have an enormous Psychic impact and Shift some of their self negation by our kith and kin "lost" or still in 'slavery' in the whole of South America especially Brazil. The Portuguese had as official policy, actively wanted/encouraged miscegenation to eradicate or lessen the black population a lot similar to Angola(mestizos)i.e. mixed race population. The story of Brazil and her complexities is too large for a forum like NL to accommodate/permit.

@ You may be right as it's the first official census of black or African Brazilians. My own personal experience and observation of Brazil and her population is "technically" it's the biggest black/African population outside of Nigeria but virtually "invisible" unlike their noisy "cousins" in north America(USA) who have managed to corner the 'black' experience market space in our collective consciousness.Brazil like the rest of South America where "black" people exist is very unique because of the peculiar minority(Portuguese) language which shuts them away from the rest of the world in terms of 'information' inflow and outflow, Racial classification in Brazil is also very insidious, peculiar and unique. They have officially over thirteen classifications/words to describe whatever race you belong to. The wonder of it all is the majority of so called blacks mixed or not, identify themselves as anything but Negro(black) because of the usual negative connotations associated with being seen as black no matter how obvious and silly it seems to a stranger like me. It is a sad experience indeed hence I was very optimistic when Obama became the President of the U.S.A., I felt that it will have an enormousPsychic impact and Shift some of their self negation by our kith and kin "lost" or still in 'slavery' in the whole of South America especially Brazil. The Portuguese had as official policy, actively wanted/encouraged miscegenation to eradicate or lessen the black population a lot similar to Angola(mestizos)i.e. mixed race population. The story of Brazil and her complexities is too large for a forum like NL to accommodate/permit.

But it was - I mean Obama's appointment.Unfortunately, this particular view that does not sell with some "well meaning" rabble rousers - black/cultural nationalists - who are just as adept at playing the zero-same game as those upholding the system they claim to oppose.

In the fullness of time, I am confident that colossal event would be seen for what it is; one which helped shape the way silent majorities, the world over, locate themselves culturally.

In an interview last year Brazil's minister for racial equality, Elio Ferreira de Araujo, attributed the change to growing pride among his country's black and indigenous communities.

"People are no longer scared of identifying themselves or insecure about saying: 'I'm black, and black is beautiful,'" he told the Guardian.

Ivonete Carvalho, from the government's racial equality ministry, said African-Brazilians were increasingly willing to stand up and be counted: "I'm here. I'm me. I'm not ashamed of my history."

I do have one quibble with the last sentence in your post: no narrative is too big for NL. None

And the point is "BRAZILIANS ARE A HEAVILY MIXED POPULATION" and can take pride in their African Ancestry as much as their Indian or Portugese ancestry. Neither one is more inherently important than the other in a biological context.

One drop of Black blood does not make you black. It makes you Human!

these two people have mixed ancestry and are considered both AA only to suit socio-political agendas of "labeing ' people to accomodate social constructs.

Well, according to the article from The Guardian, more and more black people in Brazil are expressing pride in being of African descent. Are you saying they're wrong? From your bottom comment, you obviously know little about AA history. Those two people consider themselves to be AA. Ask the second guy what his ethnic background is and he'll tell you he's black. If you're trying to insinuate somebody forced them into it, you're wrong and it shows how little you Africans know about AA history and culture. Unlike others, most, if not all, BAs don't really go into blood quantums. We know we have "other" in our DNA, but we still say we're black. I guess that's the difference between us and other black folks.

Well, according to the article from The Guardian, more and more black people in Brazil are expressing pride in being of African descent. Are you saying they're wrong?

Nope!. how could they be? Then again How could they not take pride in their native indian or European heritage either. I wonder why thats a conflict?

A.D.M.:

From your bottom comment, you obviously know little about AA history. Those two people consider themselves to be AA. Ask the second guy what his ethnic background is and he'll tell you he's black. If you're trying to insinuate somebody forced them into it, you're wrong and it shows how little you Africans know about AA history and culture. Unlike others, most, if not all, BAs don't really go into blood quantums. We know we have "other" in our DNA, but we still say we're black. I guess that's the difference between us and other black folks.

Cause AA 's categorize themselves as black for mostly political and social reason doesn't really mean much in terms of biology. Black can take on different meanings in differnt places depending. if Halle berry walked down the streets of Senegal West Africa she would not be considered Black, if she walked down the streets of cape town, she would not be condsidered black either.

Therefore being black is heavily defined by social constructs that are determined by several factors.

The fact that some Brazilians take pride in mostly their African heritage more that a multiplicity of their ethnic make up is heavliy influenced by "class" constructs that create boundaries made by men

The only reason mixed AA's identify primarily as black regardless of their multiple heritage is primarily based on the one drop rule and you know it .

Nope!. how could they not be. Then again How could they not take pride in their native indian or European heritage. I wonder why?

Cause[b] AA 's categorize themselves as black[/b] for mostly political and social reason doesn't really mean much in terms of biology. Black can take on different meanings in differnt places depending. if Halle berry walked down the streets of Senegal West Africa she would not be considered Black, if she walked down the streets of cape town, she would not be condsidered black either.

Therefore being black is heavily defined by social constructs that are determined by several factors.

The fact that some Brazilians take pride in mostly their African heritage more that a multiplicity of their ethnic make up is heavliy influenced by "class" constructs that create boundaries made by men

The only reason mixed AA's identify primarily as black regardless of their multiple heritage is primarily based on the one drop rule and you know it .

@Morpheus, your post makes no attempt to conceal what appears to be indignation that some Brazilians take pride mostly in their African heritage or that most AA 's categorize themselves as black. Was this this intent?

Why do you feel the need to place such an emphasis on biology, when even the uninformed recognises it as the very basis of the "one drop" rule which helped create various racial stratification groups.

How do you know Halle Berry would not be considered "Black" in Senegal, having never actually conducted any formal research in this area?In my travels, I have met Senegalese who are several shades darker than me (with nappy hair to boot) who only feel comfortable passing themselves off as Arab.Likewise, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with others who would readily go to war if considered anything other than Black Africans.

@Morpheus, your post makes no attempt to conceal what appears to be indignation that some Brazilians take pride mostly in their African heritage or that most AA 's categorize themselves as black. Was this this intent?

You need to check my history on threads regarding this matter before you can question my intent.

eGuerrilla:

Why do you feel the need to place such an emphasis on biology, when even the uninformed recognises it as the very basis of the "one drop" rule which helped create various racial stratification groups.

THe question you need to be asking is are my assertions incorrect. If so then why are they. If not then what is the problem. People tend to over simplify these issues for what ever political or social motives yo wnat to conjur up. To see the world in black and white is simplistic. . However simple you want it to be and no matter who is tryng to define it doesn't make that the TRUTH in absolute terms

eGuerrilla:

How do you know Halle Berry would not be considered "Black" in Senegal, having never actually conducted any formal research in this area?In my travels, I have met Senegalese who are several shades darker than me (with nappy hair to boot) who only feel comfortable passing themselves off as Arab.Likewise, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with others who would readily go to war if considered anything other than Black Africans.

You just answed your own question using your own example. "SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS" are simply that nothing more. Reality is what you perceive it to be. isn't it?

Would you consider each of these individuals black . Do they jsut have have African heritage , or both?

^^^if your answer was all these individuals consider themselves black then halle Berry must be black. If however they are not considered black then within those "social" contexts, Halle Berry would not be considered black

Morpheus all of the people you posted are black. One cannot unbecome black, and berbers are original people. In west africa the Zenaga were one of the first and most powerful Berber groups, they were pitch black. Soooo

Morpheus all of the people you posted are black. One cannot unbecome black, and berbers are original people. In west africa the Zenaga were one of the first and most powerful Berber groups, they were pitch black. Soooo

Don't know what you mean by "one cannot unbecome black"?. explain!

What you assert therefore is that to be considered black it must be synaymous with African? If so then are all these people black and therefore African. Right?

If you consider yourself black then you are black. Others might not agree based on your skin tone and many other factors, but if you consider yourself to be black then you are black

Thats fine with me. In fact thats halle berry's assertion. However how much of that 'consideration' is influence as a result of already existing class "constructs' or the ability to fit into already existings groups for some "alterior' motive.

Halle berry really has no real "choice" of considering herself anyting other than black because those are only "real' choices within her societies constucts and a fear of defining herself outside of those walls would probably prove disastrous for her going both ways as an actor.

Case in point. Most coloured people of South Africa would have found it odd to consider themselves "black" as many still hold today but we begin to notice that as power structures shift and opportunities abound for those who are "considered" to be black you find many embracing their blackness.

What you assert therefore is that to be considered black it must be synaymous with African? If so then are all these people black and therefore African. Right?

I didnt state that, although Africans and their descendents are the most well known and successful blacks(in terms of population/distribution) in the world. Morpheus I understand you're trying to be PC here, but I wonder if you realize how powerful that is, blacks around the world associate themselves with[i] us[/i]. We are united not only by our skin colors, but the oppression we have faced because of it. M.I.A herself is a Tamil girl, not as dark as some but she associates herself with many aspects of African culture and has done much to promote both our and her own culture. She is even married to a black man. Unity is a beautiful thing dont hate it bro, dont fight it, black people want ways to identify with each other.